Yorkville renews leases for riverfront businesses
By Steve Lord slord@stmedianetwork.com March 14, 2013 4:28PM
Updated: April 16, 2013 4:13PM
YORKVILLE — Three of downtown Yorkville’s newest businesses have signed new leases with the city that will keep them there for at least two more years.
Aldermen this week approved extending the leases for River City Roasters, a coffeeshop, Whitewater Ice Cream, an ice cream shop, and Geneva Kayak, an outdoor store that rents equipment and holds outdoor recreation classes.
The three businesses are in city-owned buildings between the Fox River and Hydraulic Avenue, near the whitewater park along the Fox River.
The leases, which will all run to about halfway into 2015, are the same, although the new lease for Geneva Kayak will cut the amount the company pays the city on adjusted gross receipts for instructional programs, rental and guided tours from 20 percent to 15 percent.
The company also will take down the Geneva Kayak sign and replace it with one that says, “Yorkville Outdoor Center.”
The rents for the facilities are: $250 a month, or $3,000 a year, for Geneva Kayak; and $200 a month, or $2,400 a year, for River City Roasters and Whitewater Ice Cream.
The companies also pay a 5 percent concession tax, in addition to regular sales taxes. According to city officials, the concession taxes for the past year were: $10,000 from Geneva Kayak; $2,300 from River City Roasters; and $100 from Whitewater Ice Cream.
